the power of imagination
— A girl receives a mysterious golden locket that only certain people can see, giving her courage to sing her first solo and later passing it to her sister.
— A child battles nighttime fears during a thunderstorm, mistaking ordinary objects for monsters until exhaustion finally overtakes terror.
— A girl searching for something special in her life discovers a perfect miniature house by a stream in the woods, but must leave before exploring it.
— A muskie hunt in Wisconsin waters builds through sensory details until the predator strikes, snapping the fishing line with the lure in its teeth.
— A girl volunteers at a nursing home, collecting words and stories from residents who share their memories, imagination, and a precious dictionary with her.
— A young poet imagines her future home painted paradise blue, with wind chimes, forsythia, and wandering aromas creating an oasis among city streets.
— A girl discovers a mysterious book that transports her into its pages, where she finds reassurance that her comatose sister will recover.
— A boy secretly rides a magical winged sheep that flies to heaven, then falls and transforms grotesquely before dying.
— A 3-year-old's transcribed vision of becoming the sun, bringing light to darkness, making the world proud with stories that come from the sun itself.